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Valentine's Day is approaching – how about a city break as a surprise for someone special?

Article published
5.2.2016 at 07:00
Archived
Couple being romantic in Paris with Eiffel Tower in the background.
Travel
Many European cities make great romantic destinations for Valentine's Day.

Without doubt, Paris is the crème de la crème of places with a romantic feel;they even have two bridges dedicated to love locks.

It's an unwritten rule that the Pont de l’Archevêché is the bridge for secret lovers while the Pont des Arts is for committed, established couples. Paris must be the favourite destination of secret lovers: that bridge is nearly bursting with locks!

For an unforgettable evening, go for a ride in an open-top Citroën 2CV along the streets of the City of Love.The ride comes with dinner, and the drivers can converse in many languages.

For those seeing the sights on foot, a great place to visit is the Place des Vosges, one of the prettiest squares of the city, nestled in the picturesque Marais district.

Romantic Barcelona

If you travel to Barcelona when the weather is fine, you could take a romantic daytime stroll from the beach close to the city.

Start the evening with a glass of cava near La Font Màgica, against the backdrop of a magic display of water and lights. The shows are every 30 minutes from 7pm onward.

From there, you could take the metro to the Gràcia district and sit at one of the small, trendy cafés.

A Roman kiss

Did you know that Saint Valentine was a Roman priest?

Not quite so romantic perhaps is a visit to see his skull, crowned with flowers and exhibited in the Basilica of Saint Mary, in Cosmedin. Another remarkable thing to see at this church is the Bocca della Verità, the mouth of truth, where, for example, Gregory Peck 'lost' his hand in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday.

Artisanal ice cream is a must in Italy even in the winter, and one of Rome's best-known ice-cream parlours is Giolitti, near the Pantheon.

A suitable flavour for Valentine's Day is the delicious chocolate treat 'bacio', meaning 'kiss'.

Much-loved Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a most romantic place even down to its name, and the related Slovenian word 'ljubljena' means 'the loved one'.

Start your walk at Prešeren Square, from which the statue of national poet France Prešeren gazes longingly toward the window of his unreachable love, Julija, on the other side of the square.

Continue your romantic stroll across the Ljubljanica river and down the Old Town's narrow lanes to Ljubljana Castle, where you are rewarded with a splendid view over the city. 

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